Apartment 23
by musiclover3
Summary: A story about a gambling Italian, a violent punk, a drunkard goatboy, an insane pyromaniac, a golden boy, a rich girl, and a semi-sane boy whose head is full of seaweed whose only sanctuary is the blonde brainiac next door. Welcome to Apartment 23. College!AU
1. Chapter 1

_**Title: Apartment 23**_

_**Summary: A story about a gambling Italian, a violent punk, a drunkard goatboy, an insane pyromaniac, a golden boy, a rich girl, and a semi-sane boy who's head is full of seaweed who's only sanctuary is the blonde brainiac next door. Welcome to Apartment 23. College!AU.**_

_**Genres: Romance/Friendship**_

_**Pairings: Percy/Annabeth/Luke, Nico/Thalia, Piper/Jason, Reyna/Leo, Hazel/Frank, Silena/Beckendorf, Clarisse/Chris, Travis/Katie**_

_**Warnings: Drinking, gambling, and Leo's flirting**_

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo Chapter One

PERCY JACKSON closed the car door of the old rundown Mustang that had seen better days. At one time it had been a beauty, but now, after years of running, it was falling apart and was pretty much... well, a dump. His step-father, Paul Blofis, had _generously _given him the car for his eighteenth birthday. _It was my grandfather's car, _he had said._ He passed it down to my father, who passed it down to me. Now, I'm passing it down to you. _The way Paul looked at him made Percy feel like he was supposed to clap and go down on his knees in thanks. But his mother's look told him very clearly, _Don't do anything stupid. _So he mustered up his best smile and gave his step-father his thanks.

He supposed he should have felt grateful that his parents were giving him a car in the first place. After his first few driving lessons with his parents, he didn't expect to be allowed on the road at all. It had resulted in a sweaty and nervous Paul, a very angry old woman, a reproachful policeman, and a shocked Sally Jackson. No one had been very happy to hear that he had almost run over an old woman, but honestly, Percy didn't think someone her age should be walking on the road at all. She could have been from _dinosaur times _for goodness sake.

Speaking of Sally Jackson, the middle-aged woman was currently sitting in the driver's seat of the car, nervously looking at her son in the rearview mirror and clutching the steering wheel so tight her knuckles were white. Even at her age she was a beautiful woman. She had always been kind and fair towards her son, even after all the expulsions from school and the detention slips he always brought home needing to be signed. Percy had always been a troublemaker, but his mother loved him anyway. Not to mention she made the best blue deserts in the world. Percy thought his mother was absolutely wonderful, and at times he could have sworn he saw a gold halo above her head. Many people had called him a momma's boy because of the way he talked about his mother, but Percy had always took that as a compliment. But at times his mother could be a bit... overprotective.

"Are you sure you have everything, Percy?" she asked him for the fiftieth time.

Percy sighed as he took another box full of his stuff from the trunk. "I'm sure, Mom."

"Truly? Do you have your toothbrush? Toothpaste? Do you have your teddy bear-"

"Mom!" Percy felt his face burn. "I told you I don't need him anymore! I'm eighteen now, Mom."

"I know," she sighed. "I'm just worried about you. Are you sure you want to do this?"

By _this_, she meant him moving into an apartment. In about two weeks he would be starting his first year in college, and instead of moving into one of the college dorms, he had decided to move into one of the campus's apartments. Olympus University was apparently one of the best universities in the country, and everyone had been surprised when Percy had been accepted; even Percy himself. His history teacher had reccomended this university to him. _It has a wonderful history program, _he had said. _They'll be lucky to have you in their history department. _

Percy couldn't have disagreed more, but he sent in his application anyway. His entering this college, however, meant that he would have to leave his home in Manhattan and move to sunny San Diego; much to his mother's displeasure. But they both knew that chances like this didn't happen very often, so she had no choice but to let him go.

Percy had always been good at history for some reason. His grades in his other subjects had never been the best; not to mention his conduct in school. History had always come easily to him, and he found it quite interesting. Call him a nerd, but he had always wanted to become a historian when he was older. That or a marine biologist; that was his second choice. Still, even with his _wonderful_ grades in history, (Yes, he liked to brag about that. Who wouldn't?) it was still a mystery why the university decided to accept him. But the last thing he wanted to do was question it. If Olympus University wanted to accept him, who was he to say anything against it?

He had hoped to be able to pay for his own apartment and pay for his tuition at the same time, but his parents wouldn't have it. _Just worry about school and paying for the apartment. We'll pay the tuition for you, _they had said. He had protested, of course, but his parents wouldn't have any of that.

He had spent weeks looking through the different campus apartments, (There was, surprisingly, a wide variety of apartments.) After much consideration, he settled on Apartment 23. There were twenty five apartments in all, not counting 24, (For some reason they had skipped 24 and went straight to 25 on the website. Percy decided not to question it.) He had to admit that Apartment 23 was the best choice. Not too many people, no complaints on anything from that apartment, and good behavior from the people... well, maybe that wasn't _entirely_ true. According to some sources he looked up, Apartment 23 was the _worst _one to live in, what with the parties all night, loud music, shady behavior, and overcrowding. But with the cheapest price out of all the others, he decided to live there anyway, (Yes, each apartment had different prices. Percy was starting to wonder exactly _what _kind of university he had decided to go to.)

But at least no one had been found murdered in Room 13, (Apartment 24 was closed for a reason.) This had been labled off as a rumor, but Percy wasn't entirely sure that was true. Of course, his parents didn't need to know this. They would freak out if they found out about his choice of lodging, and would probably choose the apartment themselves. Or even worse: make him go back home. At this point, Percy was pretty sure his mother was debating whether or not to make him do just that.

The apartment itself didn't look too bad. It looked like an average apartment; about five stories tall and made of red bricks. It looked quite peaceful at the moment, and didn't seem at all rowdy or crazy he had been told it was. But looks were deceiving, and Percy had a feeling that that peacefulness would be broken soon. He had been told that he would be sharing a room with six other people because of overcrowding, but he supposed it could have been worse. At least he would have plenty of people to cheat off of. (But then again, he doubted they would have the same homework as him, since they were probably all from different departments.) Still, it was a nice thought. Besides, he had never had a problem with being with other people. In actuality, he probably would have gone crazy if he lived by himself. The overwhelming silence that was there when you were by yourself had always made Percy uncomfortable. It made him feel like the air itself was suffocating him.

His mother stepped out of the car and helped him unload the rest of the boxes. "You'll call me everyday, won't you?"

Percy sighed. "Of course, Mom."

"And you'll tell me if anything's wrong? If any of your classes are too hard or if your teachers are treating you unfairly?"

Percy had never had good experiences with any teacher except for his history teacher. Even at a young age he had never fully trusted adults. It was probably because of his first step-father, or who he liked to call, 'Smelly Gabe'. He had never cared for Percy, and he had treated his mother like a servant. Percy had no idea why his mother had married him in the first place. When she finally decided to divorce him, he had tried to make off with all of their savings. They caught him before he did this, thankfully. Percy wanted to kick him to Timbuktu, but his mother wouldn't let him. If that didn't show what a good person Sally Jackson was, Percy didn't know what would.

He had never known who his birth father was. His mother often talked about him, though. They had met on the beach in Montauk and had instantly fallen in love. She always had this fond smile on her face when she talked about him, and Percy couldn't help but wonder just how great his father really was. He had left them when Percy was just born. _He disappeared, _his mother had told him when he asked where he went. _But he loved you, Percy. Don't ever think he didn't. He'll be back, you'll see. _Percy wasn't so sure about that. It had been eighteen years since he left. He honestly doubted he would show up after all this time. He had to admit he felt bitter and angry at his father. He had, after all, left them to fend for themselves. But then again, he didn't know exactly _why _his father had left them. But after all these years, Percy was starting to lose interest in why. He had his mother and Paul, and that was enough for him.

"Call me everyday, okay? Don't be hesitant in calling me if you need any help." his mother said.

"I know, Mom," Percy said, setting down a particularly heavy box. "I have to go now, though. I've got to unpack my things."

"Okay," his mother said hesitantly. She seemed reluctant to leave him.

"I'll be fine, Mom," Percy reassured her. "You've got nothing to worry about."

"I know that," she said, giving him a small smile. "It's just hard to realize that my little baby boy is growing up."

Percy felt a lump grow in his throat. He was afraid he'd start crying right there. "Mom," he stressed, feeling embarrassed. "I'm not a little kid anymore. I'll be fine."

His mother cleared her throat. "Alright, then. I suppose I should be leaving..."

Percy gave his mother a tight hug. "Bye, Mom. I'll call you once I get settled in, okay?"

"Alright," she said, pulling away reluctantly. "Be careful."

"I will."

"Don't do drugs and don't drink. If I find out that you got kicked out of _another school_-"

"_Mom_!" Percy exclaimed.

"Alright, alright. I'm going," she said, holding her hands up in surrender. She looked at her watch. "My plane's leaving in half an hour. I should be going." She gave her son a fond smile. "Be safe."

"I promise," he said, waving as she walked away.

He sighed when his mother disappeared from view. He turned around and looked up at Apartment 23.

_I have a feeling things will be different from now on._


	2. Chapter 2

_**Title: Apartment 23**_

_**Summary: A story about a gambling Italian, a violent punk, a drunkard goatboy, an insane pyromaniac, a golden boy, a rich girl, and a semi-sane boy who's head is full of seaweed who's only sanctuary is the blonde brainiac next door. Welcome to Apartment 23. College!AU.**_

_**Genres: Romance/Friendship**_

_**Pairings: Percy/Annabeth/Luke, Nico/Thalia, Piper/Jason, Reyna/Leo, Hazel/Frank, Silena/Beckendorf, Clarisse/Chris, Travis/Katie**_

_**Warnings: Drinking, gambling, and Leo's flirting**_

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo Chapter Two

PERCY WOULD have liked to say that the apartment was much better than he had thought it would be, but that would be lying, and not even the densest of people would have believed him.

Admittedly, he had had nightmares of the place for the last several days. The reviews of the apartment had so gotten to him, he had debated several times whether or not to switch apartments before it was too late. But he had never gathered up the courage, and besides, it couldn't be _that _bad, could it?

And it wasn't as bad as his dreams had claimed it to be. There were no graffiti on the walls, no drunk teenagers running around the place, no eerie messages written in red ink. It was actually much calmer than he had expected it to be.

That wasn't to say that it was peaceful.

Loud yelling and cursing could be heard from one of the upper floors, and assorted balloons and streamers were still left over from a roudy college party. A young man his age ran past him yelling, "Coming through!" and was still only in his pajamas; which wasn't much, admittedly. It wasn't exactly what Percy was looking for, but it would have to do. He didn't have to spend all day in his apartment after all.

He shifted the cardboard box taped shut with his things and carefully took out the dirty napkin he had used to write his room number on. It was on the fourth floor, fifth door to the right, with six other roommates living there. He grimaced at the thought of sharing a room with six other people. Percy had never been socially awkward, but it didn't exactly make him comfortable living with so many people he knew nothing about.

_That's the downside with going to college, _he thought, pocketing the napkin. He walked towards the elevator near the end of the hall and barely managed to press the floor number without dropping the box. _And only about six more boxes to go, _he thought glumly, also remembering the suitcase he had brought with him. _At least this place has an elevator. _

He tapped his foot lightly as he watched the room numbers tick by. The silence only broken by the occasional yelling from outside was almost unbearable, and he had never wished for some of that oldie elevator music as much as he did then. After staring impatiently at the elevator doors, he finally heard the tell-tale _ding _and the doors slid open. He gratefully stepped out of the stuffy elevator and walked through the hallway. The wallpaper on the walls was a lemony yellow decorated with flowers on vines, and it looked more like decor for a hotel rather than a college apartment.

Percy had never been one to be easily nervous, but the way the doors seemed to forebodingly look at him made him uneasy. It was as if he could feel the stares of his fellow students watching him behind those closed doors, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

He glanced uneasily at the several students in the hallway. A young Asian man with an eyepatch stared coldly at him through his visible eye, and his attire consisted of all black. A pretty girl that easily resembled a supermodel was holding a conversation with a tough-looking girl who looked like she could crush Percy with one hit. The latter gave him the evil eye as he passed and the former gave him a curious stare with her sparking eyes. Yes, he definitely felt welcomed.

And then he saw her.

She was tall, but not overly so, with curly blonde hair that reminded him of a princess, and stormy gray eyes that seemed to be able to calculate your every move. She was pretty, but not in the glamorous or delicate kind of way. She was more intimidating, and easily resembled a leader and somone who liked to get their way.

In other words, she was perfect.

Percy realized he was staring and quickly looked away and focused on the room numbers. _Here it is, _he thought, looking at the door to his new room; right next to, what he would asssume, was the blonde's room. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as he had first thought.

He shifted the box so as to be able to hold it in one arm and lightly knocked on the door. No one answered, so he tried again, harder this time.

Still nothing.

He pursed his lips and decided to check if the door was even locked. He found that it wasn't, and so he invited himself in. _Might as well, right? _he thought to himself, trying to justify his actions. _It's my room after all._

It wasn't what he was expecting to say the least.

Empty beer bottles lay strewn across the floor near an overturned couch, a young man sleeping in the middle of it. He had curly brown hair that seemed to desperately need a wash, and a whispy beard on his chin that obviously hadn't been shaved in a while. He seemed to have what Percy assumed were small horns on his head, and fake goat hooves were placed on his feet.

Next to him, a little ways off, was a small table made to fit four people- one on each side. Two young men sat facing each other on opposite ends of the table, playing cards in their hands. Blackjack, Percy realized. He had never played before, because one mention of gambling would get Percy a lengthy lecture that he would rather avoid. He had watched some of his friends play before, however, and he vaguely knew the rules.

The shorter of the two looked to be winning, judging by the scowl on the other one's face. He had pale skin that contrasted greatly with his dark eyes and messy black hair. He was wearing an aviator's jacket that looked like it could have come out of a history book, and a silver skull ring adorned one of his fingers. But it was his eyes that made Percy most uneasy. It resembled shattered glass or dark smoke. It was like a deep, dark abyss or the very depths of the Underworld. They looked... dead.

The other one didn't make Percy feel any better. He had curly dark hair and ears that resembled one of Santa's elves. He had a babyish face that made him seem innocent and cheerful, but his smile and eyes differed greatly from what he seemed. His smile was mischievous, almost insane, and he gave off the impression of always having something up his sleeve. He could have been a pickpocket for all Percy knew. His eyes were dark with insanity and glee, and it made Percy want to bolt right out of there. A tool belt was strapped to his waist, and Percy could have sworn he saw a lighter peeking out of one of the pockets of his jeans.

The one with the aviator jacket narrowed his dark eyes at the young man in front of him. "What's with that smirk? You know I've always hated that smirk."

"What smirk?" the second one asked, trying to seem innocent. But his eyes revealed all.

The pale youth looked suspiciously at the sleeves of his opponent's shirt and the tool belt strapped to his waist. "You don't have anything hidden in there, do you, Valdez?"

Valdez's smirk widened. "Come on, di Angelo, I've _always _got something to hide."

The other's suspicion just grew, but Valdez waved it off. "Come on, gangster. Even if I had something up my sleeve, you'd beat me to Timbuktu. No no one can play them cards like you do."

He didn't easily take the compliment however. "I'm not a gangster," he grumbled, brushing a strand of his black hair out of his eyes, only for it to fall back down again. He lay down his cards in an offhand manner. "Blackjack."

Valdez cursed in Spanish and dropped his cards onto the table. "Every time," he muttered, begrudgingly throwing down several crumpled bills of money onto the table. "I don't even know why I try."

"'Cause you hate it when I beat you," di Angelo replied, calmly picking up the bills and flipping through them to make sure it was all there. "It hurts your pride. Not like it was there in the first place."

Valdez put on a wounded look. "You always have to have the last word, don't you? Do you want to kill me with shame?"

"It'd be nice."

"Love you, too."

Percy cleared his throat awkwardly, and the two roommates looked up simultaneously. Their piercing eyes made Percy nervous, and he shuffled his feet awkwardly.

"Who're you?" Valdez demanded, a sparkle in his eyes that made Percy even more nervous then before. "Are you here for money? 'Cause I thought I told you people what would happen if you came back here again. This guy here-" He pointed at di Angelo, who was giving him an irritated scowl, "is a gangster. Or a mobster. Or whatever you call it. Either way he's in the mafia, and he wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet through your head." He paused for a second. "Not that I would hesitate to do it myself."

Percy tensed. He wasn't sure whether to believe the guy- after all, it wasn't something you heard everyday- but then again, the glint in his eyes made Percy hesitate. They both _did _seem the type to be able to do that.

"_Idiota_," di Angelo snapped, looking like he was itching to put a bullet through _his _head. "Don't tell people that."

_He didn't deny it, _Percy realized numbly.

"Aw, you scared of the big bad policemen?" Valdez teased.

"I'll shoot _you _through the head."

"Are you guys scaring people off again?"

Percy turned to see a girl leaning in the doorway of what looked to be the kitchen. He had to admit: She was really pretty. It was obvious she was trying to tone it down, what with her oversized band t-shirt and ripped jeans, but it didn't do much. Her brown hair was cut choppy and uneven, and Percy knew several girls from his old highschool that would have screamed at their reflection if they saw their hair looking like that. Her hair was in one braid down her back, and her eyes had this captivating look that made it hard to look away. It was as if they changed color every time you looked at them, sparkling in an intelligent and modest way.

_What is it with these people and their eyes? _Percy thought, finally managing to take his eyes off of her. He cleared his throat and looked away. "I'm Percy Jackson. I'm the new roommate."

The girl smiled at him, almost apologetically. "I'm Piper McLean. It's nice to meet you." She shot a look at the other two as if to say, _'Well? Come on.'_

Valdez gave him a wicked smile that had a mental picture of him setting the apartment ablaze appear in Percy's mind. "Leo Valdez, at your service, New Guy."

He elbowed the teen next to him, who gave him a death glare that sent chills down Percy's spine. "Nico. Nico di Angelo."

"And that's Grover Underwood," Leo announced with an unnecessary dramatic flair, kicking the poor guy on the floor in the side. The unfortunate guy let out a hungover groan and turned to lay on his other side. "Don't mind him. He's always drunk." He gave Percy a grin. "At least we'll never run out of alcohol."

Piper frowned disapprovingly. "Don't say that kind of stuff, Leo."

"Uh," Percy said, clearing his throat. "Isn't he-" He cocked his head towards the hungover man lying on the floor, "a little too young to drink?"

"He's twenty-one," Nico replied. "Besides Thalia, he's the only one."

"Right." Percy shifted uncomfortably in the room. "Uh, it's nice to meet you all."

Nico snorted. "No need to pretend. We know it's not a pleasure."

Percy flinched at the comment and was left there to stand awkwardly as Nico and Leo got into an argument about playing another round of Blackjack.

"I'm really sorry about them." Piper appeared next to him, her eyes sparkling in sympathy. "I guess this wasn't really what you were expecting."

Percy suddenly felt guilty, making Piper feel sorry for him. "It's fine," he assured her. "I'll never be bored, right?"

She just smiled sympathetically in response. "Right."

"You scaring off another poor sap, again?"

Another girl appeared in the doorway, taller, and more dominant looking than Piper. Her hair was spiky and black, and her eyes were an electric blue. She had a sprinkle of freckles across her nose, and a leather jacket was draped over her shoulder. She seemed like the demanding type, Percy mused. She had a punk and goth sort of style going on, and an intimidating aura around her. It didn't seem to be working on either of the two other males, however.

"Hey, Princess," Leo said, that grin widening on his face. "Glad to see you're home."

"Honey, I'm home," she replied sarcastically. Looking at her closely, Percy suddenly realized that she held an unlit cigarette between her fingers. She walked past the two males, holding up her cigarette for Leo to light up. She blew a trail of smoke and stood in front of Percy, her gaze unwavering. "You the new guy?" With her straight edge style and hard stare, it made Percy suddenly feel very small.

"I guess so," he said, keeping his voice even.

"Hm," she said, taking the cigarette away from her lips. "I should warn you now, New Guy, that everyone here is crazy. No one's going to cut you slack here, so if you want to scram, go ahead. No one's going to stop you." Her cold stare held no answer for what she wanted to hear, but her eyes held a sort of challenge in them. _Do you think you can handle it here?_

"I think I'll be fine, thanks." He met her stare evenly.

She looked at him for a minute, then smirked. "If you say so, but don't come crying to me once you realize what you've gotten yourself into."

_I think I know exactly what I've gotten myself into, _he thought, glancing at the four other people he would have to share his room with.

"You meet my brother Jason, yet?" she asked, taking another drag of her cigarette.

"I don't think so," Percy replied, not being able to picture this girl having a brother.

"Jason Grace," she said, looking at him as if trying to discern what was going on in his mind. "My name's Thalia. You?"

"Percy Jackson," he introduced, holding out his hand to shake.

She made no move to grab it.

"Jason's Piper's boyfriend," Leo sang in a teasing manner.

Percy wasn't sure, but he thought a blush had spread across Piper's cheeks. "Shut up, Leo."

"And he doesn't look anything like her," Nico muttered.

"Got a problem with that, di Angelo?" Thalia demanded, not even turning to look at him.

"None of my business," he murmured, looking down at his shoes.

Thalia met Percy's gaze, unflinching. She cupped her hand around her cigarette and blew the smoke in his face. "Welcome to Apartment 23."

...

a.n. As I stated on my profile, this story won't be updated very often, so don't expect a speedy update after this one. I realize some of the characters are OOC, but that's how I wanted them to be. Jason will be introduced in the next chapter.

Thalia: 21

Grover: 21

Percy: 18

Piper: 18

Jason: 18

Leo: 18

Nico: 18


	3. Chapter 3

_**Title: Apartment 23**_

_**Summary: A story about a gambling Italian, a violent punk, a drunkard goatboy, an insane pyromaniac, a golden boy, a rich girl, and a semi-sane boy whose head is full of seaweed whose only sanctuary is the blonde brainiac next door. Welcome to Apartment 23. College!AU**_

_**Genres: Romance/Friendship**_

_**Pairings: Percy/Annabeth/Luke, Nico/Thalia, Piper/Jason, Reyna/Leo, Hazel/Frank, Silena/Beckendorf, Clarisse/Chris, Travis/Katie**_

_**Warnings: Drinking, gambling, and Leo's flirting**_

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo Chapter Three

ONE THING Percy soon learned in the two hours, six minutes, and twelve seconds he had been there, was that it was a bad idea to owe a debt to Leo Valdez. It was one thing for Leo to owe a debt to someone else, but when someone owed _him _a debt, it was another story.

Percy was told quickly enough that if someone came to the door asking for Leo or Nico, it would be best to just slam the door, and, just in case, take the small handgun hidden under the couch cushions and keep it with him. _Just in case._

Of course, that was just when Nico wasn't home. If Nico was home, it was best to just go to the kitchen and ignore whatever was going on in the living room.

He was pretty sure he was living with serial killers; if not that, then gang members.

Yes. There was a difference.

'_He's in the Mafia,' _Leo had told him, subtly pointing towards Nico. _'So don't tick him off, alright? I don't want to have to explain why there are bloodstains on the carpet, and no body. Thalia would kill us.'_

Percy hoped he was just kidding.

The room they were all sharing had only three bedrooms, not counting the living room and the kitchen, so it was a tight fit. Thalia usually didn't stay overnight anyway, (Percy decided not to ask why) and so she didn't have her own room. Grover slept on the couch, (It wasn't as if he ever moved from his spot there anyway) and Piper had her own room, seeing as she was a girl.

Thalia didn't count.

Leo's room was at the end of the hall, and a large sign was tacked to the door, with big red letters spelling out, 'KEEP OUT. THIS IS A DANGER ZONE.'

Percy couldn't say he was surprised. He didn't feel any urge to see what was in there.

Jason had his own room as well, and Nico slept in the sleeping bag in the kitchen, as Percy had soon found out when he had accidentally tripped over it as he was walking over to the fridge.

By the glare that he had sent him the moment he had fallen to the ground, Percy was sure that he didn't like people touching his sleeping bag.

So, with really no choice, everyone had agreed to let Percy share a room with Jason. He _really _hoped he wasn't anything like his sister.

If he was, he was screwed.

Percy looked up from his position on the couch, (They had all somehow managed to get Grover out of the living room and into the kitchen) only to see Leo on a stepladder, trying to attach a metal bucket over the door.

Piper sent him a scolding look, crossing her arms over her chest and shifting her position on the couch. "Leo, what are you doing?"

He looked back at her, a wide grin on his face. "What's it look like I'm doing, Beauty Queen?"

"It _looks _like you're planning on injuring someone," she replied bluntly, making Percy wince at her tone.

Leo shrugged, going back to what he was doing before. "When am I not planning on doing that?"

"Is this a normal thing?" Percy whispered, turning to look at Piper sitting beside him.

She shrugged, sending him a slightly sympathetic look. "It happens a lot," she replied, also in a whisper. "It's usually not that bad. It's never hospital worthy anyway."

The jovial whistle that was coming from Leo's lips made Percy think otherwise.

Nico walked casually into the room, his eyes fixed on the phone in his hands. "He's coming," he said simply, taking a quick glance up at Leo.

"Who?" Piper demanded, her eyes narrowing into slits.

"Who?" Percy echoed, taking a quick glance at the door.

If possible, Leo's grin managed to widen, and he jumped down from the ladder in one quick leap, quickly moving it over to the side.

Percy turned to look at the door, watching as it slowly slid open, and as the bucket dropped itself onto the poor unsuspecting person's head.

"Ow!"

"Jason!" Piper gasped, jumping up from her seat and making her way towards him.

"Bullseye!" Leo pumped his fist in the air, eliciting a smirk from Nico.

_So this is Jason, _Percy thought, taking the time to examine him. Good-looking by girls' standards, blonde hair, blue eyes; he was the typical golden boy, who could have been either a movie star or a sports star.

He was the total opposite of his sister.

Jason clutched his head, hissing through his teeth. "What the heck, Leo?" he snapped, sending a glare to the snickering eighteen-year-old before him.

Leo sent him a grin. "You didn't pay back your debt, Golden Boy. I felt the need to remind you."

Jason frowned, gently pushing Piper aside. "What? You mean that time I borrowed your money to get that Tarot card reading at the fair? That was _five dollars._"

Nico snorted in derision. "Yeah, and it was a rip-off too. That lady didn't know anything about Tarot cards."

"And _you _do?" Piper shot back, coming back in from the kitchen to hand Jason an ice pack.

Nico sent her a withering look. "You really want to know?"

Percy decided to change the subject. "Hey, you alright, man?" he asked awkwardly.

Jason looked at him in surprise. "Uh, yeah…" He shot Piper a clear look that said, _'Who's he?'_

"This is Percy Jackson," she introduced, obviously relieved at the change of subject. "He's our new roommate."

Jason blinked at him for a few moments, then managed to give him a half-hearted smile. "Hey, man. Welcome to Apartment 23. I'm Jason Grace." And, with the hand that was not currently holding the ice pack up to his head, he shook Percy's hand, giving him a firm grip.

Percy squeezed back, just as hard. "Nice to meet you."

"Ooh, some friendly rivalry, huh?" Leo teased after they had let go. "Fighting over the Beauty Queen?"

Piper's face turned red, from anger or embarrassment, Percy wasn't sure. "Leo," she hissed.

"What?" He shrugged innocently. "You can't blame the new guy. It's only natural guys would be attracted to you. Heck, _I _was attracted to you." He sent her a shameless grin, causing her to glare at him.

"Shut up."

"Can't take the truth, Beauty Queen?"

"How many times have I told you to stop calling me that?"

"Not enough times, obviously."

"You're a jerk."

"But you love me anyway, right?"

"Do they do this a lot?" Percy asked to no one in particular, watching as the two went back and forth with their argument.

"What do you think?" Nico replied dully, sending Percy a look that made him feel like he was stupid for asking the question.

"Sorry about this." Jason appeared next to him, making him jump in surprise. "You'll get used to it eventually."

"I hope so," he muttered, watching as Piper gave Leo a particularly nasty hit upside the head.

"Where are you staying?" Jason asked, not looking too particularly worried about the argument that was happening a few feet away from him.

"Uh, in your room," Percy replied, shifting his feet uncomfortably. "If you'd rather not do that, then I don't mind sleeping in the living room in a sleeping bag or something. I wouldn't blame you. I wouldn't feel comfortable sharing _my_ room with some random stranger either-"

Jason laughed, cutting him off. "No, it's totally fine. I don't mind." He gave him a grin. "It'll be nice to have someone _sane _to talk to besides Piper."

They both laughed, causing Nico to give them a glare. "You all are too loud," he complained, closing his eyes.

Leo let out a raucous laugh, putting his arm around his shoulders. "Just because you're not a happy bundle of sunshine, doesn't mean _they _can't be, right?" He let out another laugh, causing Nico's glare to turn darker. "I will shoot you," he threatened, not fazing Leo in the slightest.

"Are death threats something normal around here?" Percy muttered, not expecting an answer.

"I bet _murder _would be normal around here too," Piper replied darkly, making Percy jump in surprise.

"People have been _murdered _here?" Percy's eyes widened comically, eliciting a sympathetic grunt from Jason. "Wouldn't be surprised if that happened," Jason muttered to himself.

"Of course not," Piper said, sending her boyfriend a scolding look. "Nobody has been murdered here."

Percy smiled in relief. "So those two haven't murdered anyone, right?" Percy joked, expecting a laugh.

But, instead, Piper frowned. "Well, I can't promise _that_."

_Oh_.

A knock came at the door, making the panic Percy felt increase.

"Come in," Piper called. "The door's unlocked."

The door opened slowly, and Percy could just make out a flash of blonde hair coming from the other side. "Hey."

It was her.

Same blonde hair, same gray eyes, same golden halo above her head; it was the same girl he had passed by on his way in.

"Hey, Annabeth," Piper said, a relieved grin appearing on her face.

Leo sent the girl a grin. "Hey, Annie. How's it going?"

She punched him in the arm, eliciting a yelp from his lips. "I told you not to call me Annie," she said, sending him an intimidating glare that Percy was glad he was not on the receiving end of.

She walked farther into the room, taking a casual look around, her gaze finally settling on the couch. "I see you managed to get Grover off of the couch."

"He's in the kitchen if you want him," Nico said, falling back onto the couch, his arms behind his head.

"Still hungover?" Annabeth asked, not looking sympathetic in the slightest.

"As always," Piper confirmed, letting out a sigh.

"What a bad impression," she murmured, frowning. Her gaze settled soon on him, causing Percy to freeze. The way she looked at him made him want to check his hair in the mirror, or make sure there wasn't anything in his teeth, but of course there wouldn't be, seeing as he didn't eat anything, and did he even have time to brush his teeth that morning-?

"You're the new guy, right?" Her voice interrupted his thoughts, making him realize that she was talking to _him_.

He tried to think up something good to say, but all that came out of his mouth was, "Uh…"

She rolled her eyes at him, sending Piper the look that girls clearly gave each other when they were annoyed with boys. "Can you talk?"

That knocked him out of his reverie. He cleared his throat, sticking his hand out for her to shake. "I'm Percy. Percy Jackson," he said, cringing internally at his words.

She raised an eyebrow at him, shaking his hand firmly. "Annabeth Chase. I live in the room next to you guys."

He tried not to grin victoriously at the statement. "Nice to know."

Annabeth pursed her lips. "Are you being sarcastic?"

"What? No. I'm being totally sincere," Percy said, watching as her eyes narrowed.

"Right," she said doubtfully, turning away from him. She turned to talk to Piper, ignoring the aura of despair that was coming from the young man behind her. "I just came here to see if Thalia wanted to go to the café. Is she here?"

Percy looked at her in surprise. _She's friends with Thalia?_

Piper shook her head. "No. Sorry. You just missed her."

Annabeth frowned. "Well, do you know when she'll be back? Do you know where she went?"

Piper shook her head, looking apologetic. "Sorry, but no. She comes and goes when she wants to. She never tells us where she goes."

"Maybe she's at the-" Nico hit Leo upside the head, before the rest of his statement could come out.

Percy decided that he didn't want to know.

Annabeth sighed, turning on her heel and walking towards the door. "Alright. Well, when she comes back, do you mind telling her to come talk to me?"

"No problem," Piper replied, gently closing the door once she was out.

"Well," Leo exclaimed, clasping his hands together, "who's up for some Poker?"

_Crap._

He was screwed.

…

a.n. I'm sorry that it took me- what- three months to update? I'll try to get the next chapter up much earlier. School's over for me, so I'll probably be able to update much sooner now.


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